To vaccinate or not to vaccinate?
My children and their health always come first, and this question continues to plague me anew as I now have twin baby boys - two baby boys who were born prematurely, nonetheless.
For our family, the answer to the vaccination question is not always a simple "yes" or "no." I've found it to be more of a "Yes, but..." or "No, but..." Some of the questions that I wanted answered were:
What are the risks of not vaccinating? What are the side-effects of vaccinations? Do cocktail vaccines compound any side or ill effects? Can I pick and choose vaccines if I choose to vaccinate? Can I stagger and space out the vaccine schedule if I choose to vaccinate? A good friend's son had meningitis and our daughter played with him; will vaccinating help protect my kids from such illnesses? Are boys really more vulnerable to the side-effects or ill-effects of vaccinations? Will prematurely born babies/children be more susceptible to illnesses if they are not vaccinated? Are there any natural supplements or treatments that can help my babies' better take or withstand the vaccines so that they do not suffer any side effects? What are the risks of traveling (virus-filled recycled air!), especially to places like Asia or the Dominican Republic, if my children are unvaccinated?
Aside from online research, I also found these books helpful:
Childhood Vaccinations - Answers to Your Questions by Dr. Katia Bailetti (mother and licensed naturopathic doctor)
Her focus is in children's healthas well as supporting families through pregnancy, childbirth and parenthood. Her practice, which is based in Toronto, also offers vaccination support for families).
Vaccinations - A Thoughtful Parent's Guide
Aviva Jill Romm sifts through the spate of current research on vaccine safety and efficacy and offers a sensible, balanced discussion of the pros and cons of each routine childhood vaccination.
As always, I find out who the powers-that-be are behind every website with articles that I read and peruse. I take pro-vaccination articles written by doctors who are part of a pharmaceutical company with a few grains of salt because to me, that doesn't make for an unbiased opinion. On the same token, I am also wary of anti-vaccination sites and articles as their sources and statistics are not unbiased either. Because a lot of information that I found online about vaccinations are from diametrically opposed sources, I decided to delve deeper.
Go to the next page for more help on making your vaccination decision...
I sought the help of our pediatrician and pediatric naturopathic doctor to learn more about vaccinations first-hand. I also consulted with a naturopathic doctor who offers immunization support, as well as education and information for families and parents who wish to know more about vaccination pros, cons and options.
It was very enlightening to learn that we actually had CHOICES - that my initial instinct about this issue being more than a clearly defined "Yes, of course" and "No way" was substantiated by facts.
We found out that we could choose to: fully vaccinate our children as per the schedule specified by the Minister of Health and LTC; fully vaccinate our children as per individualized schedules and staggered schedules designed with the help of both our pediatrician and naturopathic doctor, with the naturopathic doctor offering naturopathic options to lessen any negative impacts or side effects; selectively vaccinate our children - that is, opt out of some vaccines -- as per individualized schedules and staggered schedules designed with the help of both our pediatrician and naturopathic doctor, with the naturopathic doctor offering naturopathic options to lessen any negative impacts or side effects; not vaccinate at all and let their immune systems fight off diseases on their own
It wasn't a decision that came by easily for us, but I'm glad that we took the time and made the effort to find the answers to our questions, and to assemble a team of experts that we trust to help us. Between our pediatrician, pediatric naturopathic doctor, and specialist naturopathic doctor, we were able to make a decision that was right for us.
Each child is unique, each family is unique and we did what we believe is right for our family and for each of our three children.
Printer-friendly version